Warsaw Riots: Update

Police arrested 210 people for involvement in public disturbances on November 11. Among them were 92 German citizens, a Spaniard, a Hungarian and a Dane.

Forty police officers are reported to have been injured and 29 people were taken to local hospitals.

President Bronisław Komorowski described the violence as: “Shameful and disgraceful,” adding, “I want to express my great sorrow and pain that, on this special day, there were events that stands in stark contrast to the celebration of Polish independence.”

Prime Minister Donald Tusk described Friday’s events as “Painful” and said of those who took part in the riots: “These are not patriots, they are bandits.”

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice party (PiS), drew attention to the involvement of foreigners in Friday’s disturbances saying: “In the centre of Warsaw, on Independence Day, Germans beat Poles because they were wearing their national symbols.”

The Polish president has called for changes to the law allowing authorities to ban demonstrations that are deemed likely to result in violence.